The Hensley Family

Fri, 2012-04-27 00:12 -- batch_migrate

Active in the community

Perhaps Farada and Jacqueline (Cromer) BA ’73 Hensley are in their golden years. They’ve lived in Anderson for more than 50 years, and now, in their 70s, they enjoy a quiet life in the University Village condominiums adjacent to the AU campus. Still, being an active part of the community is important to the Hensleys, which is why they’ve given annually to Anderson University for more than 30 years.

“We feel like it’s an obligation,” explains Farada. “Our health is good, we can do it and we enjoy it. Life has been good, and we like to give back.”

They give of their financial resources, but they also give of their time and energy to the things they believe in most. Besides his membership in the university’s Fellows and Sponsors organization, Farada is an active, lifetime member of the Sertoma club, a serviceoriented group dedicated to helping people in need of assistance within the Anderson community. Jacqueline has served as a reading tutor and is currently a tax preparation volunteer. They are members of First Presbyterian Church in Anderson. The couple also walks in the AU Wellness Center and attends theatrical performances on campus.

Staying in Anderson and supporting the university is a natural fit for the Hensleys. Jacqueline grew up in Anderson and attended Sunday school at a local Church of God. They were married in 1948 in the old Park Place Church of God on Eighth Street and College Drive. Both their families lived in the area, and they raised four children in Anderson.

“We’re very community-oriented, and I have lived here my whole life,” says Jacqueline. “We think AU is a good asset to our community. It’s home and it’s where our roots are.”

Education is also a priority for the Hensleys, who both hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and who both taught in the Anderson Public School system for a combined total of 24 years. Farada also served as an elementary principal for 23 years. They actively support all three of their alma maters: Indiana University, Ball State University, and Anderson University.

In the 1980s, the Hensleys created two annuities to benefit AU. The annuities provide the Hensleys with a lifetime income and then pass to the university’s endowment.

In addition to their annual gifts to AU and the annuities, the Hensleys also purchased a life estate with the university. Similar to an annuity, the Hensleys’ life estate condominium belongs to them for as long as they live, but ownership returns to the university after their lifetimes.

Originally they lived in one of the condos in University Terrace off Eighth Street. However, they traded that condo for a new one off the lake when University Village was built behind the baseball field. They both describe the social life in University Village as enjoyable, and they like their condo.

Most satisfying for the Hensleys is being part of a growing university community. They plan to continue giving to the university and volunteering when they can. They are dedicated to educating new community leaders through AU, and giving back is a way they can remember their many years in the Anderson community.

“I think it’s wonderful to see AU grow,” says Jacqueline. “I’ve lived in this community since the 1930s, and I’ve seen lots of changes. I remember when about the only building was Old Main. I remember when University Boulevard was just a path, and we could hike out to Mounds Park. It’s wonderful to have a good university here.